Motor-controller.



W. E. HOUSTON.

MOTOR CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1905.

PATENTED FEB. 13, 1906.

WILEY E. HOUSTON, OF SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA.

MOTOR-CONTROLLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1906.

Application filed June 14, 1905. Serial No. 265,275.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILEY E. HOUSTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Santa Ana, in the county of Orange and State of California,have invented new and useful Improvements for Automatically Cutting Offthe Current of Electric Motors when Used in Pumping Water when from anyCause the Motor is Stopped, of which the following is a specification.

In pumping water where an electric motor is used for operating the pumpit often happens that there are interruptions in the flow of the currentto the motor, thereby causing temporary stoppages of the motor, whichoccasion the stoppage of the pump, and stop ping the flow of theascending column of water. When the current is again turned on, unlessthe same is turned on gradually the fuses are almost invariabl blownout, and sometimes the motor itsel is burned out.

My invention relates to means for automatically cutting off the currentto the motor whenever the flow of the column of water from the pumpstops; and the object thereof is to require the startingof the motormanually, so that the pressure may be gradually thrown-thereon. Iaccomplish this object by the mechanism described herein and illustratedin the accompanying drawing, which is a side elevation, partly insection, of mechanism illustrating my invention.

In the drawing, 1 is the suction-pipe of the pump. (Shown as acentrifugal pump.)

3 is the delivery-pipe which carries thewater from the pump to thedelivery-spout 4.

5 is an electric motor by meansof which the ump is operated.

6 1s the controllinglever, by means of which the speed of the motor isvaried and is stopped and started.

In the delivery-pipe, and preferably near the bottom thereof, is a valve7 (shown as a clack-valve) which is connected by the wire or rod 8 toone arm of bell-crank lever 9. The

other arm of bell-crank lever 9 is connected will cause the clack-valveto close, there y throwing connecting mechanism, drawing thecontrolling-lever against stop-pin 11, in which position the current ispermanently cut off from the motor, and in order to start the operationof pumping again it is necessary for the operator to start the motor bymeans of the controlling-lever, which he does in the usual manner, so asnot to throw the whole current upon the motor at the start. By thisconstruction all danger of a sudden excess of current being thrown uponthe motor is avoided. I have shown the pump as a centrifugal pump; butany other kind of pump may be used, providing the deliverypipe isprovided with a valve that will close on the stoppage of the upward flowof the water therein with sufficient power to move the lever or switchwhich controls the flow of the current to the motor, suitableconnections being made therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

for controlling the flow of the current to the motor a pump having adelivery-pipe; a valve in the delivery-pipe adapted to check thedownward flow of water therein; a bellcrank'lever above the top of saiddeliverypipe; a connecting-rod connecting one arm of said bell-cranklever to said valve and a con nection between the other arm of saidbellcrank lever and the means controlling the flow of current to themotor whereby when the upward flow of the water in the delivery pipe isstopped the valve closes and the current is cut ofi the motor.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 8th day of June, 1905.

WILEY E. HOUSTON.

Witnesses:

G. E. HARPHAM, HENRY T. HAZARD.

